Dear Editor, 

If you’re anything like me, the upcoming Town election is still pretty far from your mind. I’ve spent the last two weeks working with everyone from my neighbors to our Senators to find the tools and resources Nederland is going to need to get through this latest crisis. While most of our attention is rightfully given to keeping ourselves, families, and friends healthy, election day is nearly upon us. As we’re seeing in real time at the national level, elections matter and those we elect to serve as our town’s Mayor and Board are critical to how we address the challenges of today and the next few years.

This year is clearly not the year to be campaigning, and I will continue to spend my time working for the town over the next few weeks instead of doing so, but I know that there is an unsigned and libelous letter that has been sent to town residents that I simply can’t let go without a response. 

The claims made in the letter repeat and expand upon those in the frivolous recall petitions of last fall and are as without merit. To the claims of fiscal irresponsibility, I would point to the town budget and reserves that are in a better position now than they have been since I started paying attention to such things in 2005. This is critically important right now as we weather the COVID-19 crisis and has been accomplished while raising the salaries of all town employees to a living wage and completing two major infrastructure projects on-time and on-budget. 

Claims of back-door deals are equally baseless. The two biggest policy projects undertaken over the last three years, regulating short term rentals in town and renegotiating the town’s intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the county have each been the subject of nearly twenty public meetings, hearings, and forums. Everything we have done as a Town Board has been done as a group, with advisement from our advisory boards, town staff, and legal counsel, despite the claims made in the letter. 

I am proud of the work we’ve accomplished as a town over the past two years. We have worked hard to find compromise solutions to issues that are facing us, from affordable housing to growth to protecting the fabric of our neighborhoods. If re-elected I promise to continue to listen to all and work for what is best for the entirety of our town, not any one particular group no matter how vocal they might be. I promise to continue to try and find new ways to listen to all residents and communicate the intent behind my actions. I promise to keep working my hardest for Nederland, both as we navigate COVID-19 and its impact on town as well as through all the opportunities the next two years will bring to Nederland.

Kristopher Larsen
Candidate for Mayor